Just played Advance to the Sure, as americans, for the first time. Played pretty fast - ran at full speed maybe half the time. Had to me what looked like very obvious strategy. I was extremely surprised to get a surrender on day 7. The AAR says the germans suffered 10,000 losses, to my 1,700!!! They got no victory points, I got 100. Never had such an easy run of any scenario before. Does this mirror the experience others might have had with this? I was wondering whether something was broke and I needed to re-install....

Some are easier than others, change the settings to favour Axis...or play as Axis. Like all other games a scenario is usually best played from one side or the other very rarely both.

Though you can play at fast speed...I try my best not to as I find it can take away the immersion. I only run it fastest speed when no real contact is on.

This game is best played at a slower pace just for overall immersion reasons...I at times do have to hold myself back and remind myself it's not a race to the finish...enjoy the battle and enjoy watching it play out.

New patch will be out soon so it will be like a new game, so they say. Try it again then.

Well, it's a sort of after-action report. Does that mean you too find playing this scenario as the allies to be easy, wodin? I normally play at slow speed, of course - the ony reason it ended up on full speed (and this is why I mentioned the fact) was that it was so easy there wasn't much need to slow things down. I haven't played any other scenario where it was so easy to inflict a truly crushing defeat on the axis, first time I tried, which is why I genuinely asked if others found it to be similar - in case I needed to re-install, because something wasn't quite working (the AI, perhaps). How would I know?

I doubt the patch will make it like a new game, as many people are surmising. There isn't much worng with the old game, imho, all things taken together. This scenario aside I usually find that the AI gives me a good run and, first few times, I can't get much more than a draw. It will be nice to have all the things done that Dave is doing (especially the surrender beahvior), but it's more tweaks than making it a new game, I would think. I wouldn't want anyone who hasn't bought it yet, and who has, say, played the demo, to be misled. Basically, it's a patch for game that is brilliant anyway. If you don't like it enough to buy on the basis of what's already here you probably won't find it much more interesting after patch 2, I would guess.

Myself, I'm really waiting to get the HTTR expansion. Those are interesting battles and the diff between BFTB and HTTR is a little more like it's a new game, though not really, just more refined. I still enjoy playing HTTR, in fact. Same basic engine delivering the same excellent AI.

Well as for it being like a new game tehy are saying it's the same or even bigger step up than CotA to BftB..if thats the case then it's fantastic news...I love the new AAR..also if it helps with fatigue, HQ and mortar units leading an attack and units retreating to quickly then it will make a big difference.

I also love the game as is but there is always room for improvement.

The leap from CotA and HTTR was good with regards to UI improvements, thats why I can't play HTTR anymore as I miss the UI. I have all three games...though I gave RDOA to my dad.

It is designed to be best played as Germans VS AI and maybe the briefings should state that. It was tough getting a good balance with the historical forces involved; there wasn't much left on the 7th Armee flank when the III Corps counterattack began.

Also, there is a slight bug that was fixed in the game and you will see bridges blown more frequently with the new patch - so that will make a difference here and other scenarios - like Peiper's Race to the Meuse and especially Market Garden. .

Thanks Simovitch. It was nice to win, of course, and so decisively! Doesn't often happen....

You're right, Wodin, the changes to retreat and surrender behaviour will certainly make a big diff, I think. I just tried the little Platamon scenario from COTA and there as well, I found, the retreat behavious was very frustrating. The defenders were running before the tanks were any where near. In a way I don't blame them.....but there's no game possible if they do that too much. In BFTB it's very frustrating also to watch units retreating and routing towards the enemny, knowing that before long they will surrender.

I wonder when this patch is finally going to arrive, then? I had thought last week, following on from one of Dave's mails, but it's never like that. I think people are right that my guestimate of 2013 for the Eastern front game was a little optimistic....